Cheryl PopeNew York, NY

Artist’s Statement

The work I produce seeks to address relevant issues that affect the way in which we live our lives today. I begin with relationships and experiences in my everyday that I find confrontational or in need of examination. Through research, experimentation, and collaboration, I produce works addressing specific questions that extend into social, political, and global conversations. I am interested in developing communities through my work via collaboration, relevancy, and outreach.

There are two voices in my practice. One that can be seen in the series titled Matter of Fact (including submitted works: Stacks, Shove, Tops) and speaks to more private, domestic, and internal relationships. This work focuses on the objects as bodies becoming materializations of an internal space, negotiation, or challenge. Conceptually the work examines and questions issues of power, position, gender, history, and memory.

The second voice can be seen in the series titled Hoop Dreams (including submitted works: Hoop Dreams, This or That, A Silent I) and addresses more public, social, political, and generational issues. The work takes form in graphic, athletic, Americana, and urban aesthetics. The material and framework carrying the questions is chosen for its public reference and position. This public and social voice also contains the collaborations and outreach with a full generational range. The dominant element that guides this voice is the intent to create platforms and positions for unheard voices to be heard.

Overall, my mission as an artist is that of a humanitarian. Through my work I want to challenge, understand, and question the everyday in hopes to gain and promote consciousness and compassion.